Improved seaivi for sheet-metal ware



vrares YUWE PATENT Farce@ PETER H. NILES, OF BOSTON, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELFAND AUGUSTUS RUSS,

OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS. I

HVIPROVED SEAM FOR SHEET=METAL WARE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,0! 5, dated May 22,1866.

To all whom it may concer/n:

Be it known that I, PETER H. NILES, of Boston, in the county of Suffolkand Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented anew and usefulimprovement in the construction of thejoints of tin cans or boxes andother utensils made of sheet metal, which I term the, socket-joint 5 7and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings7and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of thisspecification.

Figure l exhibits t-he piece of sheet metal which forms the body of acylindrical' can unrolled after it has been formed and the edges havebeen prepared to make the joint. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the body ofthe can as formed, showing the external appearance of the joint. Fig. 3is a vertical section of the body, showing the internal appearance ofthe same joint. Fig. 4 is a trans\f'erse section, showing thearticulation of the socket and bead.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

A piece of sheet metal is cut of the proper size and shape for the bodyof a cylindrical can, and, after being formed between rolls in the usualmanner, a semicircular socket or recess, a, is formed in the verticalmargin, b. The opposite Vertical margin, c, is rolled over so as to formthe bead d, the convex surface of which will coincide with and t intothe concave surface of the semicireular socket a. The bead d and thesocket a., being united, form the socket-joint e.

The advantages of this joint are that it forms a neat tlush joint on theouter surface ot' the can or box,presentingachannel through which thesolder tlows down into the socket, and, uniting with the contiguoussurfaces of the tin, forms a joint of great strength and solidity. Thesurfaces of the tin lie so close that a very small amount of solder issufficient to ill all the interstices and make a solid seam or rib.

No rough edges or angular projections are formed on the inner surface ofthe can, but instead thereof a smooth semicircular rib, of fering noobstructions to the process of washing or cleansing the can.

In the formation of this joint there are no sharp angles impairing thestrength of the metal, which enables the manufacturer to economize inthe quality of the meta-l used.

It is obvious that this joint may be adapted to any form of sheet-metalvessels.

That which I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

The socket-joint e, formed by the articulation of the socket a and thebead d, substantially and for the uses and purposes above described.

P. H. NILES. Witnesses:

J. M. F. HOWARD, M. H. DURGIN.

